Top 7 Internet Browsing Rules You Should Follow To Stay Safe Online

We all are able to access any kind of information regardless of the age, thanks to the internet for providing us with this huge treasure of information. No doubt, that internet has made our lives easier and is really helpful to us but it can also be harmful at the same time.

Yes, just as the rate of internet users is increasing daily the rate of cyber crime is also increasing. How you are using the internet and how much do you trust it? Are you browsing the internet with care? Are you following the rules of internet safety strictly? These are the factors which determine whether internet would be useful or harmful for you.

So, to keep your online identity safe, stay away from hackers and spammers, keeping your online information secure, there are some crucial internet browsing tips that you need to remember.

1. Trusted Web Browser

We all use the internet using a web browser and the vulnerability starts right from there. It is important that you use a trusted, protected and reputed web browser for surfing the internet. There are so many web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Dolphin, Opera, Torch, etc. Each one offers slightly different features. So, know which web browser would be best for you and use it to surf the internet.

2. Create Strong Passwords

The first rule of online security is the strong password. Doesn’t matter for which site you are creating a password, it should be strong enough so that the cybercriminals could not decode it. S0metimes people set an easy password which they can remember easily like 12345, their name etc. These passwords are quite weak and the cyber thieves can get your password without any difficulty. A strong password helps you to keep your account safe and secure. For making a password strong, it should include not less than 15 characters including one uppercase letter, and some special characters.

Never use your own name, address or phone number as your password. Also, do not use the same password for all your online accounts because if the details of one account get hacked then the security of all other online accounts would also be compromised.

3. Use Secure Shopping Websites

People love to order clothes, food, gadgets etc. online as it provides the ease and convenience. But for the same, you need to provide the credit cards or debit cards details to the site for your order’s payment. These are highly confidential information that you wouldn’t want the hackers to get their hands on to.

So, only provide your financial information via a secure network. You can easily identify a secure site as it contains HTTPS: instead of simple HTTP: S stands for the secure. So, whenever you decide to shop online from a particular website, first check its URL if it’s https, only then continue shopping on it otherwise drop your idea and find an alternative.

4. Be A Selective Sharer

Though the internet is a great way to share your photos, videos etc. but you need to understand that once you post something online, it will be there forever. You can’t delete or remove them completely from the internet. The original file could be deleted but you deleting all the copies of that files in next to impossible. So, be a selective sharer and never post something which may create problems for you in future.

5. Beware Of Public WiFi

Getting free WiFi is one of the best feelings. You can get connected to the internet using public free WiFi and browse the internet free of cost. But these open public WiFi’s can be harmful to your devices. The reason is, these WiFi’s are usually unsecured due to which the cybercriminals and thieves and easily get your device’s data and information and misuse them. To avoid such situations, you should install VPN on your device to prevent identity theft. There are numerous free VPNs available which you can download and use whenever needed.

6. Click Smartly

Yes, another rule you need to follow for a secure and safe internet browsing. The common way for hackers and spammer is to trick the users into revealing their personal information through ads, surveys, offers, prizes, lotteries, etc. Don’t click on the tempting email saying you just won $1M. Never send your bank or other financial details with them. Learn to identify spam emails. Also, don’t click on suspicious links as these links can download harmful programs on your system and corrupt it.

7. Privacy settings

Keeping your privacy settings up to date is one of the most important to stay safe on the internet. All the web marketers and advertisers know everything about your internet activities via browsing history and social media platform. But there are also privacy settings available that you can customize to permit them to track only a very limited amount of your internet behavior.

Bonus Tip

Meet People Online Carefully

You need to be extra cautious when meeting new people on the internet. The best way for hackers to get the personal information of a person is to get cozy with him/her on the social networks and then trick him to reveal the personal stuff. So, always make friends online with caution and never reveal anything personal as most of the times people are not what they claim to be online.

About the author

Shivani Srivastava

Shivani shrivastava is an active tech blogger. She has graduated from Delhi University. She has contributed a number of great and informative articles to the internet. Apart from blogging she loves music, games, puzzles and reading. Share your views with Shivani in the comments.